Life Happened
by shinigami2174
Summary: Relena's POV. Relena narrates how different her life is from what she had imagined, and how different is the Gundam pilots' lives after war. Yaoi, Yuri, Het. Feedback very much needed.
1. Delusions

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. I am not making money. I am totally penniless, so please don't sue me.  
  
Life Happened 1/?? Author: shinigami2174 Rating: PG-13 Warnings: Relena's POV, yaoi, yuri, het, language Pairings: Past R+1, 3x4x3, 1+2+1, 4x5x4, future 1x2x1 Timeline: After Endless Waltz Spoilers: None. Genre: Romance. Feedback: Yes please! shinigami2174@Argentina.com  
  
Thanks to CleverYoungThief my wonderful beta reader.  
  
Life Happened  
  
Chapter 1: Delusions.  
  
Once I was a fool. Please, don't get me wrong. It's not like I'm the wisest person in the universe. However, time has been benevolent to me. It made me. how can I say it? More intelligent? No, it doesn't sound right. Less stupid, that's fair.  
  
Before you jump into conclusions, I have a valid excuse for my behavior (I was young. too young, if you ask me.) I was a teenager, barely fifteen years old. I didn't deal very well with reality back then.  
  
As I told you I was young, among other things. You see, I was a different person then. Picture it. I used to love pink, pink dresses, pink cars, pink stuffed animals, you name it. Hell yes! I admit it, pink underwear too. Did I tell you I was tasteless?  
  
In those days, I thought I was in love. Who was the object of my affections? Heero Yuy. He was perfect for me. He was a hero. I was a princess. What else was needed? The guy threatened my life several times and just couldn't pull the trigger. Do you need a better proof of his undying love for me? I didn't.  
  
Hey, don't blame me! If you'd been in my place, you would have been totally attracted to him. Let's face it, the man is gorgeous. I worshiped the ground he walked on. He had me wrapped around his finger, lucky me he's a gentleman.  
  
I was sure I loved him, and even more sure he loved me back. I had pictured the perfect future for us. We were going to get married, be happy forever and have two little perfect children, a boy and a girl. We were going to live a perfect life. Did I tell you I was a dreamer?  
  
Yes, I know what you are thinking. Nobody lives a perfect life, but I was a dreamer, remember? I also used to have another quality. I was just too damn stubborn. I didn't take a "no" for an answer.  
  
I used to chase Heero like a hunter to his prey. I was a relentless. stalker. I just ignored the fact that he ran away from me every time I managed to find him. Good grief I had no dignity!  
  
Dreaming is not a crime, you may say. I agree. If dreaming about my perfect future had been everything I did, it would've been ok. Unfortunately, I couldn't stop. I also planned the perfect life for the rest of the Gundam pilots, my brother and my closest friends and enemies. Did I tell you I was a control freak?  
  
My next target was Duo Maxwell. Why him? Because he was Heero's best friend. They were always together. They shared missions. They had a special connection. They could communicate very well with each other. Hell, they would die for each other if necessary. It should've been enough to give me some clue about their true feelings, but it wasn't. Did I tell you I was blind?  
  
In my pink little mind, Duo needed to find a good girl to settle down with. Any ideas about who was my candidate? Of course it was Hilde. They were also going to get married and live a perfect life. Their children would play with ours, and we would share weekend activities for the rest of our lives. Yeah, right.  
  
At that time, Quatre Winner and Trowa Barton were a couple, so their future was pretty much covered. They would be happy forever, and maybe adopt some children. They were going to be our "gay friends", the eternally happy couple who never fights and always knows how to throw the best parties.  
  
My dear and newly found brother was going to marry Noin. Wufei was going to settle down with Sally Po. Dorothy and Une would surely find two gorgeous, loving men to share their lives.  
  
Well my friends, I think I need not to say another word. I was absolutely, completely freaking delusional. Nothing came out as I expected. Nothing. Nada. Not a freaking single thing.  
  
First of all, I could not marry Heero, because he obviously didn't love me that way, and I didn't love him, either. Not only that, there was a tiny little detail I didn't know back then. I don't even think he knew it himself. Heero Yuy is gay. Yep, he's as gay as gay gets. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but as you can see, it made our marriage a bit impossible.  
  
Heero being gay was not the only obstacle to my little picture perfect future. There was also the fact that he adored Duo Maxwell. He used to think it was a best friend kind of love. He was in denial, poor little thing.  
  
After the Mariemeia incident, I still had hopes on my perfect little planned future. Heero agreed to be my head of security. I was sure it was out of pure love. The first months, everything seemed to be ok. He was my shadow, always protecting me, always by my side.  
  
The poor guy had to act as my date in every single freaking social event for one year! He almost died of boredom. Each time, it took more and more of his proverbial self control to stand the situation. I was the silent observer of his internal fight between his sincere desire to protect me and his need to do something really useful to keep our recently gained peace, instead of watching grass grow during one of my garden soirees.  
  
During that year, I realized that not everything in the world is about my desires or my needs. I think I became a more mature human being, and then I knew I never loved Heero, not romantically at least. I love him like a brother, nothing more.  
  
Once I accepted we were never going to become a couple, I knew I had to let him go. He needed to prove to himself he could live a "normal" life, do what he wanted and be happy. So one day, I stood in front of him and simply told him.  
  
"Heero, we need to talk."  
  
"Hn," was all I got for an answer. How ironic for someone considered "perfect" to have such a lack of social skills. I became aware I needed a strong hand to handle the situation.  
  
"Heero, you're fired. Pack your things and go whenever you want to go to do whatever the hell you want to do."  
  
"I can't. I need to protect you," he answered. You see, no "I can't leave you because I'd die without you". Just his duty. Nothing else.  
  
"I don't need more protection Heero, you trained a fucking army of bodyguards."  
  
That got a reaction from him. Well, maybe it was the swearing, but I got what I wanted. That was my cue, so I pressed a little bit more.  
  
"Go ahead. Get a life for God's sake."  
  
"But."  
  
"No buts. Get the hell out of here."  
  
"You. are you sure?"  
  
Was it hope what I saw in his eyes? I can't tell. I just know I saw something different from the icy glare I was so used to watching.  
  
"Hell yes!"  
  
He didn't need any more encouragement. He packed in five minutes. I have to give him some credit, he stopped to say good bye. He gave me a sweet kiss on my cheek and said he would keep in touch. I couldn't stop a tear from rolling down my cheek. I'm a sentimental gal, so sue me. He went through the door and I could not stop myself. I ran to him and gave him a big hug. Finally, I told him:  
  
"Heero."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Take care and be happy."  
  
"I will." was his answer. Without another word he walked out of my life. We kept in touch. I received several postcards from different cities around the world. One day the postcard flow stopped. He called to tell me he had just joined the Preventers. I was happy for him; it seemed he had finally found his calling in life.  
  
I kept track of his life without him knowing. Let me tell you, letting Heero go was a turning point in my life. It was the moment when I left my childhood behind and became an adult. It didn't matter I wasn't eighteen yet. It was the first time I actually began to think about other people's needs and true desires instead of only being worried about mine, and damn it, it was not easy.  
  
Nevertheless, real changes sometimes take time and I hadn't completely given up on my dream future. At that moment, I really believed everything else in my picture perfect future vision was going to come true.  
  
After Heero became my head of security, Duo went to L2 to live with Hilde and work in the savage yard, and I was still really waiting for the wedding invitation, little delusional me! It never arrived. A month after Heero joined the Preventers Duo left L2 and Hilde and followed Heero. He must have been dying of boredom too!  
  
Well, strike two for Relena. Another prediction failed miserably. Around that time, my dear brother came back from Mars. In our six-hour-heart-to- heart talk he told me he and Noin were nothing but friends. Was I disappointed? Maybe a little bit. Not too much, I was already used to failure.  
  
Meanwhile, Wufei and Sally weren't even dating. Dorothy and Une were so immersed in work that they didn't even think about love and I. well I was lonely. I knew I was not lonely because of Heero, but because I still wanted a special someone in my life.  
  
Years passed by. I was still working as a vice foreign minister and had no life. Heero and Duo continued working together, they even lived together, were partners at the Preventers and guess what. they weren't a couple. That was the moment when I began to doubt their human nature. They weren't a couple, they didn't date other people and I couldn't help to suspect that they never got horny. Hell, even I get horny! I'm only human and I have a healthy libido, thank you very much. So their lack of love lives or even the apparent lack of sex lives of theirs really got me worried.  
  
I still didn't know what to do about their situation when something shattered the rest of my delusional dreams. During all those years, there had been one constant relationship that I believed rock solid. Trowa and Quatre had been a couple for eons now, or so it seemed. I really though they were going to go on forever. Well, that just showed me what I knew. They broke up and suddenly I sensed that from that event many things were going to change. Guess what?  
  
I was finally right about something.  
  
tbc 


	2. Rumors

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. I am not making money. I am totally penniless, so please don't sue me.  
  
Life Happened 2/?? Author: shinigami2174 Rating: PG-13 Warnings: Relena's POV, yaoi, yuri, het, language Pairings: Past R+1, 3x4x3, 1+2+1, 4x5x4, future 1x2x1 Timeline: After Endless Waltz Spoilers: None. Genre: Romance. Feedback: Yes please! shinigami2174@Argentina.com  
  
Thanks again to CleverYoungThief for beta reading. You rock! ^_^  
  
Life Happened  
  
Chapter 2: Rumors.  
  
Everything started on a day that seemed nothing but ordinary. I had heard the news about Trowa and Quatre's break-up two months ago, and was miserably trapped in Preventers' HQ due to massive failures in the climate control system in my office. Security reasons, you know.  
  
I remember that day because my twentieth-first birthday was going to be in three more months and I had started planning the celebration. Tell me about stupid things to waste your time on. Anyway, I was agonizing over the guest list of my soon-to-be party when I noticed I needed a copy of the latest list of government officials to decide which ones needed to be invited.  
  
Nothing complicated, you may say. I agree with you. What did I do? What any normal government official with a healthy amount of self respect would do in my place. I called my secretary to ask her for the list.  
  
Call it fate, destiny of whatever the hell you want to call it. My secretary was not in her place. I have to make hard decisions on a daily basis, so I was more than capable of making another one, right? Right. I decided to move my ass and get the copy myself.  
  
I went to her desk and looked for the damn list in one of the drawers. When I finally found it, I had to face another challenge. There was only one copy. Not a big deal. I just needed a photocopy.  
  
I was feeling adventurous that day so I decided to go to the copy room and make a photocopy of that goddamned list.  
  
When I arrived at my provisional office, I had been shown the whole building in case I needed to escape or hide. Security reasons again, so I knew where the copy room was.  
  
I walked to the copy room, glad I had not come upon anybody. Sometimes it's tiring to be a public figure, to have everybody trying to please you. There are times when you just want to be left the hell alone. I suppose it was one of those days.  
  
I finally reached the copy room, and after a gazillion failed attempts I got my photocopies. I was about to go back to my office when I heard steps and voices outside the room. I decided to wait until that loud group of people decided to go away.  
  
Tell me about rotten luck. They decided to stop at the copy room door and started to gossip. I know, a lady doesn't eavesdrop, but for one thing it wasn't intentionally, and secondly, who the hell told you I am a lady? I just act like one.  
  
I was expecting normal office gossip, you know. Who has a new car? Who just divorced? Who has a new lover? Things like that. Nothing in the freaking universe could have prepared me for what I heard.  
  
"Have you heard the news?" a feminine voice asked.  
  
"What about?" another girl asked.  
  
"The Gundam Pilots." The first girl answered.  
  
"Hell, no. Tell me!"  
  
"Trowa Barton joined the Preventers. He works full time now."  
  
"Really? He and Quatre were called just when it was needed. Well, it's not surprising."  
  
"Of course it isn't. He had to do something with his free time now that he's single again."  
  
"What a pity he's gay. He's gorgeous."  
  
"He may be bisexual."  
  
"Hey, you're right. One of us might get lucky."  
  
"You wish."  
  
"Of course I do. Who would have though he'd leave Quatre Winner?"  
  
"You are kidding me, right? "  
  
"No, he left Quatre. Rumors say Quatre stopped spending time with him. It seems he just concentrated on Winner Enterprises."  
  
"And he just walked out without saying goodbye?"  
  
"Yes, but there's more."  
  
"More?"  
  
"It seems that Mr. Winner didn't feel the loss too much. He has a new boyfriend."  
  
"So soon? Who is he?"  
  
"Chang Wufei."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"You heard me."  
  
"That little slut."  
  
"Well, not exactly. They are not sleeping together or anything. It seems they are just trying to know each other better to see if there may be more in the future."  
  
"How the hell do you know it?"  
  
"Quatre's secretary is my cousin."  
  
"Oh, that explains it."  
  
"Yes. Anyway, Wufei is Quatre's new head of security."  
  
"A very lousy one if you know everything about Quatre's private life."  
  
"Quatre trusts my cousin. They would never suspect her."  
  
"Whatever. I just hope they get together sooner than Maxwell and Yuy. Those guys just dance around each other. It will take like forever for them to have sex."  
  
"Maybe it is because of that Peacecraft bitch."  
  
"Do you thing so?"  
  
"It's a possibility. Remember how she used to chase him? She was pathetic."  
  
"She was? She still is. Just look at her. No boyfriend, no girlfriend, no life. Maybe she's waiting for Heero."  
  
"I don't think so, but maybe Heero doesn't want to hurt her feelings and that's why he's not with Duo."  
  
"Are you on drugs or what? Heero doesn't care about anybody. He doesn't have emotions. He's like a robot or something. He freaks me out."  
  
"You're exaggerating, but you can't deny he's drop dead gorgeous."  
  
"I'm not saying he isn't. He also has a great ass."  
  
"He sure does. Well, I have to go back to work. See you later."  
  
"See you."  
  
What can I say? I was stunned, speechless and furious. How dare they to judge our lives? The Gundam Pilots had sacrificed so much to achieve peace. They have given up their childhood, their innocence, their inner peace, almost their lives and "that" was what they were getting in return. None of us needed that shit.  
  
I really wanted to kill them. All the ill-intentioned remarks really got to me. It stung when they called me pathetic, but it was nothing compared to the hurt I felt when they called Heero a robot. He is a human being, he might have problems expressing his emotions, but it doesn't mean he doesn't have any.  
  
He saved their sorry asses and almost died doing it. Those ungrateful bitches were going to pay. Hell they will. When I finally could return to my office, I was still so angry I was shaking.  
  
Once I calmed down, I couldn't help to think that maybe those harpies were right. Maybe it was because of me that Heero and Duo weren't together. I seriously doubted it was because Heero didn't want to hurt me. Maybe it was because Duo thought Heero felt something for me.  
  
I was confused. Although Heero was not longer working for me, sometimes he acted as my date in very special situations, to protect me. Maybe Duo got it all wrong.  
  
I decided to take matters into my own hands. I needed to talk to Quatre about the security leak. I needed to find out if his relationship with Wufei was true, and I seriously needed to talk to Duo. I was going to make it right for everyone.  
  
With that idea on my mind, I took the phone, and this time my secretary was finally in her place.  
  
tbc 


	3. Conversations

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. I am not making money. I am totally penniless, so please don't sue me.  
  
Life Happened 3/?? Author: shinigami2174 Rating: PG-13 Warnings: Relena's POV, yaoi, yuri, het, language Pairings: Past R+1, 3x4x3, 1+2+1, 4x5x4, future 1x2x1 Timeline: After Endless Waltz Spoilers: None. Genre: Romance. Feedback: Yes please! shinigami2174@Argentina.com  
  
Thanks again to CleverYoungThief for beta reading. ^_^  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Scene change.  
  
Life Happened  
  
Chapter 3: Conversations.  
  
After the incident in the copy room I immediately made an appointment to meet Quatre at WEI. When he asked me about the motive of my unexpected call, I just gave him a lousy answer. "Security reasons."  
  
Boy, I've spent so much time with Heero, his laconic way of speech has rubbed off on me.  
  
An hour later I was in Quatre's office, comfortably seated and speechless. You see, sometimes there's a conspiracy between my brain and my tongue. They lose connection when I need them to work as a team, and they work together when I don't want them to. Little bastards!  
  
I'm not usually shy. I'm a politician for God's sake. I can talk without stopping for hours, and here I was, unable to articulate a freaking word. Well, it was not entirely my fault. I just didn't know how to start. I couldn't be blunt and just ask: "Hey Quatre, is it true that Wufei and you are fucking like bunnies?" It wouldn't have been polite, don't you think?  
  
So, I took advantage of my best diplomatic skills and said tactfully. "Quatre, I know it's not my place to ask you this, but is it true that you and Wufei are romantically involved?"  
  
I was waiting for an answer like "Mind your own business and fuck off." or something similar, but let's face it. Quatre Winner is a gentleman.  
  
"Excuse me?" was all he said, blushing furiously. He looks kind of cute when he blushes, by the way.  
  
"I assure you. There's a reason for me to ask."  
  
"Well, yes and no." Please, and men say that women are the complicated ones. I had to keep myself from rolling my eyes.  
  
"I don't quite understand."  
  
"Let me try to explain it. Wufei and I are not boyfriends, not really. However, we're very much attracted to each other. We agreed to spend more time together and see what happens."  
  
"Oh! Then it's true."  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"I just found out by accident. I overheard a third party conversation and your new relationship was one of the topics."  
  
"What? How could they possibly know?"  
  
"There's a security leak in your office, Quatre."  
  
"But how? Who?"  
  
"Your secretary. I overheard her cousin talking about your love life."  
  
Have you seen Quatre Winner furious? I hadn't until that day, and it scared me to death. The man seems too sweet for his own good. Those angelic looks of his are so deceiving. Don't forget; we're talking about Quatre Winner, Gundam pilot, deadly terrorist, trained assassin, etc. Get the idea?  
  
I was tempted to ask about the details of Quatre and Trowa's break-up, but my better judgment told me it was not wise at the moment. Hell, I'm nosy, not stupid.  
  
He assured me, he would take care of his secretary. I didn't dare to ask how, but whatever way it was, that backstabbing bitch had it coming.  
  
I went back to my office with a strong resolution. I would talk to Duo that same day. I must confess I was nervous. Let me elaborate a little bit. I was not afraid of Duo. It was just. crap! Let me tell you the whole story.  
  
Back during the wars, I had almost no contact with him. I just knew he was Heero's partner. I barely knew the guy, but I liked him (he saved my life. what it's not to like about it?). I have never had anything against him. He was just another piece in my picture perfect future.  
  
Well, after Heero stopped being my head of security I started to dig in the Gundam pilots' files. I just needed to know more about them, about their pasts. It was not only out of curiosity. I needed to know them, to try to understand their motives to fight a war. Call me crazy, I just needed to do it.  
  
Well, being the former queen of the world has some advantages, like a very high level security clearance.  
  
I found the information that each professor had about the pilot he trained. I can tell you, very few people had laid their eyes on those files.  
  
Each one of the pilots had had a hellish life in one way or another. Even Quatre and Wufei, the ones with a family, had lost too much. However, what I found about Duo puts him on a totally different level.  
  
Let me tell you, that guy's a real fighter. What I read about him made me cry. I felt guilty for being a delusional princess when I read about his childhood. But I swear, I've never pitied him, ever. It just made me respect and admire him like nobody else.  
  
Everybody thinks that Heero is the best one among the Gundam Pilots. He might be the best pilot (he can kick serious ass), but Duo's also an excellent pilot and he doesn't have Heero shortcomings. He has wonderful people skills; the guy is a charmer, so full of life.  
  
He knows how to enjoy life. I'm sure it is because he's very aware of death. It is just incredible that a wonderfully caring human being had come out from that awful background.  
  
He masks himself as a jester, but I know better. He's extremely intelligent. Nobody fools Shinigami. On the top of that, I know he really loves Heero, and that, my friends, is enough for me to like him. Besides, the fact that he's drop dead gorgeous and has an incredible ass doesn't hurt him. What? I'm an "ass girl", sue me.  
  
I was awfully nervous because I was going to try to intervene in his life. I was sure he wasn't going to like the idea, even if it was for his own good. How could I face him and tell him that I knew everything there's to know about his past, his abilities, hell, even his psychological evaluations. How could I tell him I knew what was best for him? You could call me a coward, and you would be damn right.  
  
I checked his work schedule for that day. I have access to that kind of information regularly. I knew he was at his office alone, because Heero was on a solo mission. Duo would be alone one entire month. I assumed he might feel lonely living without Heero for a month.  
  
Finally, I got the guts to go to his office. I was shaking when I knocked his door. "Come in" he answered.  
  
I walked in quietly and I saw him reading what seemed to be some kind of reports. Apparently, they were very important, because he kept his eyes on them. After a few seconds, he finally acknowledged my presence.  
  
"Good afternoon, Duo."  
  
"Good afternoon, Ms. Peacecraft."  
  
Then I knew I was in deep shit. He didn't like me. He was so cold towards me. It was his attitude, not his words that told me that. I was still recovering from my discovery when he told me:  
  
"Heero is not here."  
  
"I know." I said it without thinking. He winced and I knew I had to stop digging if I expected to get out from the hole I've got into. It sounded all wrong. Like I was still stalking Heero or-even worse-like Heero had told me he would be absent.  
  
"I checked few minutes ago. I want to talk to you." I added. He relaxed a little bit, but I could see he was still tense.  
  
"In that case, how can I help you Ms. Peacecraft?"  
  
That did it. I lost my patience and said:  
  
"Well Duo. First, let's cut the crap. Shall we? I'm Relena. Just Relena. Neither Ms. Peacecraft, nor Ms. Darlian. Don't even think about using any title. I'm not Your Highness, Princess, or even Vice Foreign Minister. Understood?"  
  
Then I witnessed a miracle. He was speechless. I made him speechless. I was so proud of myself.  
  
"Ok, Relena." he said hesitantly, "What do you want to talk about?"  
  
"You."  
  
"Me? Well, I'm all ears."  
  
"Not here. We really need privacy. Do you have plans for dinner?"  
  
"Uh... nope."  
  
"Would you like to go to my place and have dinner with me?" Then I used my best puppy eyes.  
  
He finally agreed. Point for Relena.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
We used his car to go to my place. At first, he wanted me to go surrounded by bodyguards as usual. But when I told him "Hey, I'm going with you. Why do I need more protection?" He just smirked.  
  
All the way to my place he drove in silence, which is unusual for him. It made me more nervous. When we finally arrived, I asked him:  
  
"What would you like to eat?"  
  
"Whatever you're eating is okay."  
  
"We can order pizza."  
  
He looked puzzled. Maybe he thought I didn't know what pizza is. Well, another misconception about me.  
  
"I eat pizza, Duo."  
  
"Uh... yeah. Sure you do. Why wouldn't you?"  
  
"Look, I know that my house is closer to a museum than a home, but that's just for image. I'm normal. Well, very close to normal." I smiled to him.  
  
"For image?" he asked.  
  
"Yes. I'm sure you've noticed that I'm not legal yet. When people look where I live, they tend to think I'm older, more mature. They forget I'm not twenty one yet and I help to rule the world. Call it a camera trick. If I could choose, I wouldn't live here."  
  
"Oh, I see." He said, smiling back to me. "In that case Relena, pizza is more than ok."  
  
We ordered pepperoni pizza, which is our favorite I discovered, and ate in silence. I just couldn't make him relax. It was a little bit frustrating. Finally, the moment I dreaded arrived.  
  
"Well." He said. "What is it that you want to discuss about me?"  
  
"Do you think about the future, Duo"  
  
"What kind of question is that?"  
  
"A very simple one, I hope."  
  
"Not so simple, Relena."  
  
"I know."  
  
"What exactly do you want to know?"  
  
"What do you expect of your future? How do you see yourself in ten years?"  
  
"Well, I think I'm going to be working at the Preventers. Maybe they'll give me a promotion. Who knows?"  
  
"What about your personal life?"  
  
"Do you mean Heero?"  
  
"I mean you. What do you want? Will you be married? Single?"  
  
"Do I look like a fortune teller? How would I know?"  
  
"Hell, you're being difficult. What do you want to be your future, romantically speaking?"  
  
"Err, I. don't know."  
  
"Hell, you know it! Even I know it!" Not a wise comment.  
  
"You know nothing about me!!" He snapped, violet eyes flashing.  
  
"I know you love him." There is a fine line between nosiness and stupidity, and that was the moment when I crossed it.  
  
Now he was furious, and I was scared. He looked like he wanted to hit me. Lucky for me he has a tremendous amount of self control.  
  
"Look Relena. I don't know what the fuck you want and honestly, I don't care. What kind of sick, perverted game are you trying to play? What the fuck do you want?" He was royally pissed off. I can piss anyone off royally when I want to. A princess has to do anything royally, don't you think?  
  
"I want Heero to be happy." I said.  
  
"And you want to tell me that only you can make him happy." As I suspected, he misinterpreted everything.  
  
"Crap, no. I won't make him happy. Ever. I don't love him that way."  
  
"You don't? He asked, incredulous.  
  
"Nope. Besides, he doesn't love me either."  
  
"He doesn't? How do you know?"  
  
"Well duh! He worked for me for a year. Furthermore, I have eyes, ears and also happen to have a brain. I'm sure he doesn't love me."  
  
"But he didn't tell you he doesn't love you." Oh boy! He is a stubborn one. Just like me.  
  
"No, but the fact that he didn't even blink when I fired him told me more than a gazillion words."  
  
"Maybe he's just shy. Maybe he's afraid of rejection because you fired him."  
  
"Well, maybe someday you will stop being a jackass. You may even open your eyes and see he loves you."  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"Because I just do, ok? And before you ask, he didn't tell me either."  
  
"Then, you don't love him."  
  
"I love him like a brother. I want you two to get together as a couple. I know you're perfect for each other."  
  
"But how do you know that?"  
  
"Hell, you are being as dense as lead. I just know. Call it feminine sixth sense or whatever you want."  
  
"And your plan is."  
  
"That you two end up together."  
  
"How?" Oops! I hadn't thought about that.  
  
"Err, well."  
  
"You don't know." He was finally smiling.  
  
"Well, no. But we can come up with something, don't you think?"  
  
"I suppose."  
  
"Then, will you let me help you?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Why do you want to help me?"  
  
"I told you, because I want Heero to be happy, and."  
  
"And?"  
  
"I want you to be happy too."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you deserve it."  
  
"How do you know that?" It was know or never.  
  
"Because I read your file. I know that you've had a hard life." Call me queen of understatements.  
  
"I know you read it." Now I was surprised.  
  
"How? When?"  
  
"I can't tell you. If I told you, I would have to kill you." He deadpanned.  
  
"You're funny." I tried to joke.  
  
"I'm not joking."  
  
I knew it was the right moment to drop the subject.  
  
"Oh well, what do you say?"  
  
He smiled and extended his hand to me while saying.  
  
"Ok, friends?"  
  
"Hell, yes!"  
  
Now I had a new friend and my perfect partner in crime.  
  
Tbc 


	4. Bonding

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. I am not making money. I am totally penniless, so please don't sue me.  
  
Life Happened 4/?? Author: shinigami2174 Rating: PG-13 Warnings: Relena's POV, yaoi, yuri, het, language Pairings: Past R+1, 3x4x3, 1+2+1, 4x5x4, future 1x2x1 Timeline: After Endless Waltz Spoilers: None. Genre: Romance. Feedback: Yes please! shinigami2174@Argentina.com  
  
Thanks again to CleverYoungThief for beta reading. ^_^  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Scene change.  
  
Life Happened  
  
Chapter 4: Bonding.  
  
The very first thing I did after Duo and I agreed to collaborate in our make-Heero-and-Duo-a-couple mission was get Duo assigned as my personal bodyguard. Wait a minute. Mission? What am I? She-Heero, Barbie soldier or what? Jeez, I've spent too much time around soldiers. Anyway, it was going to be a temporary gig. Just while Heero was absent, working on his solo mission.  
  
The idea behind this action was to have time to come out with a genial plan to achieve our objective. Well, it seemed quite easy at first. I just assumed that my experience as a politician and his multiple abilities would qualify us to reach our goal.  
  
Guess what? I was freaking wrong. Again.  
  
Let's face it. Duo and I had null experience in romantic relationships. We didn't have love lives at the time and hadn't had love lives in the past so. you figure it out. We were so lost that we were almost. err. pathetic.  
  
I mean, what could we do? It's not like Duo could go and give Heero flowers and chocolates. He told me he hadn't tried anything with Heero. He had just been waiting for the moment when Heero would announce his engagement to me. Talking about impossible things.  
  
We spent every single freaking minute of our free time trying to come out with a semi-decent idea of how get them together. I must confess, some of our ideas were more stupid than others. Generally speaking, we were screwed.  
  
Every time I would come out with something, he would point out all the flaws my idea had. I'd do the same thing when he suggested something that just wouldn't work. You could say, "Hey, It's not rocket science."  
  
Remember people, we're talking about Heero Yuy. Last thing we wanted to do was make him angry. It could be dangerous and unhealthy for both of us.  
  
Sometimes, it got downright frustrating. In those goddammed moments, when our brains went dry, and we were almost pulling our hair in desperation, something quite unexpected happened. We started bonding.  
  
We shared so much time, and so many crazy ideas that we just got to know each other better. I learned he's a very private person when he rejected my idea of writing a declaration of his love for Heero in a huge banner and display it from an airplane. He wanted to share his feelings just with Heero, not with the whole freaking universe.  
  
He knew I'm a very special girl when I suggested using some male stripers to sing and dance his love declaration. What? It would've been fun.  
  
Anyway, without any of us noticing, we started to be really comfortable and relaxed around each other. Unconsciously, we started to use pet names to address each other informally when we were in private.  
  
When he called me "Lena" for the first time, I was so glad that I couldn't stop myself from grinning like an idiot. He noticed it and smiled to me. I started to call him "D" he objected that it might be confusing when Dorothy was around.  
  
I told him not to worry about it; my pet name for Dorothy is "Dot". I also call her bitch when she drives me nuts, but never to her face. I'm not suicidal, you know.  
  
Don't misunderstand. Dorothy is my friend. I care about her, but that girl can behave like a lunatic sometimes, so better safe than sorry.  
  
After some time, "D" evolved to D-chan. I also call him Shini. He also came up with other pet names for me: Len, Lena-chan, and little freak. He uses the latter just when I say or do something outrageous that really freaks him out, which happens...well, frequently, if you want to know the truth.  
  
During that month as my personal warden, err bodyguard, he worked with me, accompanied me everywhere, and ate with me. During one lunch, after a particular boring meeting that lasted the longest four freaking hours of my entire life, we began chatting innocently and then I had to open my big mouth.  
  
"That meeting was the most boring thing I've ever had to experience, Lena." Duo said frowning with distaste. "How can you stand it?"  
  
"Because I have no life?" I answered jokingly. "Seriously, because it's necessary, D." I added.  
  
"Why it is necessary to listen to a group of old parrots that know nothing about what people really want or need?" he asked impatiently.  
  
"Because those self-centered bastards have money and power. Besides, if I pretend to listen to them and to agree with their ridiculous ideas, they'll let me have my way and do what is right." I said, sounding tired, even to myself.  
  
"You're a manipulative girl. You know that?" He said, grinning.  
  
"Yeah, I can be a manipulative bitch if I have to. Call it a gift," I playfully replied.  
  
"Oh my. you're really something girl."  
  
"I know," I answered shamelessly. "By the way, what is the status of our mission? Any new ideas?"  
  
"Status? Screwed. New ideas? Nothing useful."  
  
"Crap! We should ask Quatre. He's the only one with an active love life." It was an innocent comment. I swear. But it sounded awful. I saw Duo turning red, his violet eyes sparking angrily.  
  
"Careful, Lena. His private life isn't your business." It was all he said. I took it for what it really was, a veiled threat.  
  
"Look, D," I said, trying to remain calm. "I'm not judging him, or gossiping about his life. I don't really care about whom he fucks or who fucks him. It's his fucking business. I'm not the one who is spreading rumors about him, Trowa and Wufei in the Preventers HQ. I didn't imply anything. It was just a freaking comment, so please chill out and cut the crap, would you?"  
  
"Rumors? What kind of rumors?" He asked, still trembling and visibly out of balance.  
  
I told him everything about the conversation I overheard in the copy room of the Preventers HQ. I didn't omit anything. Not a single word. He listened silently, his expression turning darker as I related the story to him.  
  
"We have to tell Quatre." He said when I finally finished.  
  
"I already did that, D." I stated, relieved he didn't hate me. He seemed to relax after that.  
  
"When?"  
  
"That very same day. It couldn't wait. It was a very serious security leak."  
  
"Thanks, Lena. You're right."  
  
"So. you ok?"  
  
"Yeah, I. um, kind of overreacted. Sorry about that."  
  
"No problem, Duo." I reassured him. "However, I need to know something."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Are Trowa and Quatre on good terms? I ask it because I'm planning to invite them both to my birthday party. I don't want them to feel uncomfortable."  
  
"Honestly, I don't know. I'll ask his blondness, I promise."  
  
"His blondness?" I asked amused.  
  
"Yeah, well. It's one of my pet names for Quat." He said, blushing a little bit.  
  
I couldn't stop myself. I burst laughing uncontrollably. I had tears in my eyes, and almost fell from my chair. Then, it hit me. I had to have a nickname in the past. I had to know, so I dared to ask.  
  
"D-chan, we are friends, right?"  
  
"Of course, Len."  
  
"If I ask you something, you'll tell me the truth, right?"  
  
"You know I don't lie, Lena. What's the matter?"  
  
"What did you call me, back during the first war, when I was stalking Heero?"  
  
"Lena, it was another time. I didn't know you at all."  
  
"I need to know, Duo. What did you call me? Besides 'that bitch'." I said winking at him.  
  
"Well. I. used to call you. her pinkness."  
  
I opened my mouth and closed it again without uttering a sound. He looked troubled.  
  
"You." I said, looking directly to his eyes. He looked worried. "You're a fucking genius." I said, bursting into laughter. "It was perfect for me, Duo."  
  
He seemed genuinely puzzled. After a while, he also burst into laughter. We were laughing like idiots for half an hour or so. Finally, I recovered my voice and told him.  
  
"It fitted me perfectly, D."  
  
"I know, Len. You were always wearing pink or riding that pink car of yours. It just seemed so. adequate."  
  
"Thank God I actually developed some taste and grew out of my pink phase."  
  
It's true. Thanks to the Almighty for some common sense. Going through life disguised as Pepto-Bismol is repulsive if you ask me.  
  
I and my big mouth almost caused a disaster. That was a lesson for me. Duo's a great friend, loyal like nobody else and very protective towards the people he cares about. So, take my advice. Don't mess with the friends of Shinigami. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After lunch, we went to my home. We were in my bedroom, chatting idly, when I remembered I needed to pick my clothes for next day.  
  
Everybody thinks that I have an army of servants at my disposition that do everything for me. That's partially incorrect. I actually have an army of servants to help me, but I still do some things by myself. Like take a shower, nobody bathes me, no sir. I also select the clothes I wear. The idea of somebody handing me my panties is awful. A girl's got to have some privacy.  
  
Anyway, I was in my dresser, selecting my clothes for next day when Duo asked me:  
  
"Hey, Lena. Where is that old guy that used to be your chauffeur and your personal butler?"  
  
"Do you mean Pargan?"  
  
"Yeah, that guy."  
  
"He retired. He's living in Hawaii now. I gave him a generous pension and bought a house for him. He did too much for me. He deserved it."  
  
"Really? Can I work for you, please? I'd really liked to retire to Hawaii someday, you know."  
  
We were laughing and joking, just having a blast. After some minutes, I found the suit I wanted to use next day. I showed it to Duo. When he pretended to use his finger to make himself vomit, I got the message.  
  
After I showed him like ten different suits, he stood up from the couch he was sitting down on, and went to find by himself something worthy of wearing.  
  
He examined my whole wardrobe making comments like: "Bad." "Worse." "Shit." "Crap." "What the hell were you thinking?" Get the idea? Finally, he told me, showing signs of incredulity:  
  
"Is that all, Lena?"  
  
"Well, it's enough. I have, like two hundred suits and same number of dresses. I also have my night gowns. I can show them to you if you want."  
  
"No! Please. Spare me. Tell me Lena. Who designed your wardrobe, a nun helped by a middle aged, single school teacher? Don't you have any real clothes, fun clothes, clothes that you'd choose?"  
  
"Nope." I answered. "Those are all my clothes."  
  
"For God's sake, Lena. You're not twenty one yet and you dress like you're forty."  
  
"I have to look responsible." I replied.  
  
"I agree Lena. But you have only beige clothes and always wear pearls. Some more make-up on you and you could look like my mother."  
  
Crap! that stung. He must have noticed the expression on my face because he immediately added.  
  
"Don't worry, Len. That's what friends are for. I'm going to help you. As a matter of fact, I have and idea."  
  
I had the feeling that I should be afraid or worried about his idea, but I just managed to smile shyly.  
  
"What idea?"  
  
"We're going to go clubbing tonight, Len." He said, with a huge grin on his face.  
  
"I can't. I have to work tomorrow. Besides, I'm not legal yet. I can't drink alcohol."  
  
"We can go clubbing and you can drink water if you want. But we'll go."  
  
He was not asking, he was telling me.  
  
"Ok, what should I wear?" I finally surrendered. Curiosity always gets the best of me.  
  
"That's half the fun, Lena. We're going to go shopping first." He told me, with a mischievous smile on his face. Then I knew I really had something to be worried about.  
  
tbc 


	5. Surprises

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. I am not making money. I am totally penniless, so please don't sue me.  
  
Life Happened 5/?? Author: shinigami2174 Rating: PG-13 Warnings: Relena's POV, yaoi, yuri, het, language Pairings: Past R+1, 3x4x3, 1+2+1, 4x5x4, future 1x2x1 Timeline: After Endless Waltz Spoilers: None. Genre: Romance. Archive: mediaminer.org and Feedback: Yes please! shinigami2174@Argentina.com  
  
I know it's been a long time. I have been having a serious block. Besides, RL's been a real bitch. Anyway, thanks to CYT for beta reading.  
  
Life Happened  
  
Chapter 5: Surprises.  
  
The first gift that Duo Maxwell ever gave me was my freedom. It was in the form of a black-haired wig and a pair of hazel-colored contacts. Right after he decided I needed to loosen up, have some fun and get a new wardrobe, we went to Preventers HQ to get said items to disguise me.  
  
It made sense. I would be perfectly safe if nobody recognized me. He intended to take me shopping, so obviously the idea was to change my appearance drastically.  
  
It was just a security measure at first, but after I saw my image in the mirror, I knew that my new appearance would allow me to do whatever I wanted without compromising my security, my public image or my credibility in any way.  
  
I felt like I was getting out of jail. For the first time, I didn't have to behave my best, to pretend I was a lady or act as the mature person I was supposed to be. The feeling was intoxicating. Yes people, I was on a freedom high.  
  
Immediately after our short stop at Preventers HQ, Duo took me to the store where he shops for his "fun clothes". Well, how can I describe it? It was.err. unorthodox, to say the least.  
  
My first impression was that the only fabrics that store sold were denim and leather. Of course, I was wrong. There were all kinds of synthetic materials in store.  
  
As soon as the salesman recognized Duo, he approached him and they started talking like old buddies. It was obvious that Duo was one of their best clients. I was fascinated, looking around the clothes. I had never in my entire life seen those kind of clothes. Damn, I liked them. A lot.  
  
I was completely distracted. I didn't even notice when Duo asked the salesman to show us some of their finest pieces of clothing. The guy went to fetch them while Duo approached me, asking:  
  
"Well, Lena. What do you think?"  
  
"This place is incredible. I totally love it!" I answered, quite enthusiastically.  
  
"I just knew you'd like it." He told me, grinning mischievously.  
  
"I gather you shop here frequently." I commented offhandedly.  
  
"Well, you could say that. All my party clothes come from here."  
  
"So, you party very often?" I asked him while I continued to check the clothes.  
  
"Not as often as I'd like." He told me. "I go clubbing once in a while, when I have time. I love dancing and it helps me to relieve some stress, you know?"  
  
"Does Heero go with you sometimes?"  
  
"No. I've never been able to persuade him." He answered, with a bit or sadness in his voice.  
  
"Oh! You can't have expected any different," was my reply. What else could I tell him? I tried to change the topic of conversation, so I asked him:  
  
"Where are we going tonight, Duo?"  
  
"There's a very private place I go sometimes. Don't worry; there'll be no reporters there. It's not even a club. It's like a mobile party."  
  
"A mobile party?" I asked, intrigued.  
  
"Yes, the organizers move the party every time. It never takes place twice in the same place. Somebody has to invite you and tell you where the party is going to be. People are very careful about who they invite. It's a privacy issue. What happens there stays there. Nobody wants the outside world to know about it."  
  
"It sounds mysterious. Is it like a cult or something?" I was curious. I told you, curiosity always gets the best of me.  
  
"Well, not exactly. It's just a place to lose your inhibitions without worrying about your image or your prestige. Most people just go there to dance. They just don't want to be seen by the public."  
  
"Oh, I understand." I said. "Are there any rules?" I asked.  
  
"As I told you, what happens there stays there. Nobody comments who attends those parties or what happens there. It's a closed circle. You may meet people you know there. You can talk to them there, but you can't talk about those parties outside, even with people who attended them."  
  
"Not even with you?"  
  
"No, Lena." He said, firmly.  
  
"Okay, my lips will be sealed." I assured him.  
  
The whole moving-party thing was just strange. It really intrigued me. I started to wonder if I'd come upon someone I knew there. It would be kind of weird, but at the same time, it was exciting. I just couldn't wait to see what dirty secret I might find there.  
  
Although Duo was sure of the privacy of those parties, I decided I was going to keep my disguise, just to be safe. I'd be free to do or observe whatever I wanted.  
  
I was thinking about the whole thing, when the salesman came back to us, carrying some outfits. When I saw them, I almost fainted. They were outrageous. Very different from what I usually wear. But then again, that was exactly the point. I wanted to be different, to try new things. I wanted to be adventurous for once in my life, so I decided to try them on.  
  
After trying on several outfits and modeling them for Duo, he declared that I looked my best in black leather. It was a very short mini skirt complemented with a very revealing top. I call it "the bite me outfit," because you could read those words on the chest and on the butt.  
  
In other words, wearing that outfit was equivalent to have a big luminous sign hanging over my head that says "available and easy". Yes people, it was 'that' slutty.  
  
It was funny to think that nobody in the universe would believe that Relena Peacecraft would wear something like that. Ever. I was still looking in the mirror when Duo suggested:  
  
"I think you need high-heeled boots to go with your outfit, Lena."  
  
At that exact moment, the salesman was near us and heard Duo calling me Lena. He fixated his eyes on me, like I looked familiar to him, but just wasn't sure who I was.  
  
"Lena?" He asked. "Like in Relena?" He insisted.  
  
I was shaking. One word to the media and there would be a scandal. Duo, however, looked cool and collected. He just smile at the guy and said: "Lena, like in Helena. She's a friend of mine. Sorry to disappoint you buddy, but I didn't recommend your store to the Vice Minister Peacecraft."  
  
The guy looked disappointed, but convinced. We paid for the outfit and a pair of boots, and hurried out of that place. I was silently relieved and honored. I'd read about Duo's past and knew who Sister Helen was. The fact that he used her name combined with mine to cover my back told me he considered me a friend and cared about me.  
  
"Crap! That was freaking close. Thanks, D." I said.  
  
"Don't mention it, Len." He sounded kind of nervous. "After all, this whole thing was my idea."  
  
We never talked about that incident again. But I'm sure he knows that I understand the meaning of that particular name.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Once in the car, Duo decided I needed some make-up. After applying some kohl to my eyes and red lipstick to my lips. I was ready to party. I also looked like a real 'pro', if you know what I mean.  
  
After that, we headed to the party. We finally arrived at what seemed to be an abandoned warehouse. Let me be more specific, would you? That place looked like a dump from outside. The most hideous guy I've ever seen was keeping the door, controlling who could enter and who couldn't.  
  
The gorilla seemed to know Duo very well, because we didn't have a problem getting in. So far so good. Once inside, I took a careful look around the place. I was damn right, it was a dump. You could say it was a stylish dump, but a dump nonetheless.  
  
The music was loud; the whole place was almost in total darkness. There was just a bunch of lights near the bar and some more on the dance floor. It was totally crowded, but you can hardly see anything, so I couldn't recognize anyone.  
  
After the initial shock, I started to feel I was in my element at that place, the loud music, the crowded dance floor. Everything seemed perfect to me. I wanted to dance all night long and have the best time.  
  
We headed for the dance floor and I swear I could feel the rhythm of the music running through my body. Duo and I must have been quite a couple, because after a few minutes, everybody's eyes were on us. Some guys were looking at me like they were hungry wolves and I was a piece of fresh meat. I don't know if I liked it.  
  
But even if it hurts my vanity, most people were absorbed in watching Duo. Man, D could get more ass than a toilet seat if he wanted! I, never the one to keep my mouth shut, teased him:  
  
"Hey Duo, you seem to have a big fan club."  
  
He actually blushed, so I insisted a little more.  
  
"Do they just watch or want to touch?"  
  
"Well, some of them have tried to touch, but their health is no longer good enough to come to these parties."  
  
"Ouch! So you beat the crap out of them, I understand. Have you ever. you know. gone out with one of them?"  
  
"I've been tempted, but I've never gone out with one of them. Sometimes I really feel lonely. anyway I don't go out, period."  
  
I felt so sad for him, but then again I was in the same position, without anyone to share my life with. At least he had an illusion, he was in love. I, on the other hand, well. let's just say I had no prospects on sight.  
  
We were dancing and after a while, I turned my eyes towards the door, and guess what? I was on for the first surprise of the night. Quatre and Wufei were making their entrance, holding hands. They were very discrete, even in that place where everything seemed permitted.  
  
I followed them with my eyes and then Duo noticed them. He seemed also a little bit surprised, although he knew about them. I believe he hadn't seen them 'together' before.  
  
After some time, he told me:  
  
"Lena, I need to talk to Quatre for a sec. Do you want something to drink? We can meet again at the bar."  
  
"It's ok, Duo," I answered, "I'll see you there."  
  
We parted ways. I went over to the bar and asked for a soda. After thirty seconds, one of the very top government officials I usually work with made a pass at me. I was astonished, since that man is fifty and married. He didn't seem to recognize me when he dropped the line "I can make all your wishes come true, baby." Oh my God! What a pathetic loser.  
  
Anyway, I have to make him disappear before he could figure out who I was, so I said:  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Sure, babe," he answered.  
  
"Well, here's my first wish. Get lost."  
  
He showed some signs of intelligence and went away. After I got rid of him I started to look around the place.  
  
Something caught my attention. Not very far from the bar, sitting on a large couch, there was a couple making out like it was the last day of their lives. After a few seconds of observation, I realized they were both girls. That's ok. I was totally cool with that. Sometimes I ask myself if I swing that way. You know, love is love.  
  
I was thinking about it when I noticed something else. Those chicks looked very familiar to me. I was concentrated on trying to figure out who they were when Duo came to meet me again.  
  
"What's up, Lena?"  
  
"Uh? Oh! I was trying to figure out who those girls are," I answered, still looking towards them.  
  
He looked at them and started laughing hard.  
  
"Oh my God, Lena! Please don't tell me you didn't recognize them."  
  
"Well, I think I know them, but I just can't say who they are."  
  
"Please, Lena," Duo told me, "look at them carefully."  
  
I really concentrated, and then I finally recognized them.  
  
"Holly shit!" I gasped, "Is that. Une and Noin?"  
  
"Oh yeah. Sure they are." Duo said, with some degree of amusement in his voice.  
  
"You knew about them." It wasn't a question. I was such a fool. Never in my life would I have imagined they were a couple.  
  
"Yep. I gather you didn't."  
  
"Well, obviously. I still had hopes about Noin and my brother. I even wanted Une to find a good man to share her life. I suppose I'm still a little bit delusional."  
  
"Does it bother you, Lena?"  
  
"Of course not. Why would it bother me?"  
  
"Well, they are both. you know. girls."  
  
"Duh, of course they are. So?"  
  
"I mean, are you okay with that?"  
  
"Well, it doesn't matter. It's their business. But yes. I'm okay with whatever makes them happy. I care about them."  
  
"That's great, Lena."  
  
"I have to admit, it was a surprise to me. But you know, as I was looking at them, I was wondering if I could swing that way."  
  
"Really?" He actually looked surprised.  
  
"Yes. Weird, isn't it?"  
  
"It would be funny."  
  
"What? If I liked girls?" I asked him, curious.  
  
"No. Let me tell you the whole story. When I went to live with Hilde I was convinced that Heero and you were going to end up together. I really tried to avoid reading or watching about you and your work, because it always involved Heero."  
  
"And?" Now I was intrigued.  
  
"Well, at that time, Hilde actually developed a big crush. well. on you. She kept everything that was published about you. She watched every single news program just because of you. It really made me feel sick."  
  
"You aren't kidding, right?"  
  
"Nope. She's like a sister for me. I would never joke with something like that."  
  
I went silent. Oh my God. Hilde? All this time, longing for someone to care about me. All that time chasing an impossible dream, and there was somebody in the universe that actually cared about me. It was really surprising.  
  
I didn't know what to think or what to feel about Duo's revelation. I was genuinely confused. I asked him to take me home. I needed to be alone to digest the news. I must have gone very silent, because when we were arriving to my home he asked:  
  
"Lena, are you okay?'  
  
"Yes, Duo. I'm just a little bit surprised and confused, but okay."  
  
"That's good."  
  
"Yeah, that's good. Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Do you think she is still interested?"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"You know. Would she go out with me?"  
  
"I. I don't know." He really sounded surprised by then.  
  
"Would you ask her, please?"  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes, Duo."  
  
Why did I ask him to do that? I honestly don't know. Even to this day, it's a mystery to me. I wasn't even sure I liked girls that way. However, the idea of having someone who really cared about me was very enticing. I was willing to give it a shot.  
  
We finally arrived to my house. I was exhausted, not just physically, but emotionally as well. I was willing to go to bed and sleep a little bit. We opened the door, the whole house was dark. All the service had gone to bed so I assumed we were alone.  
  
"Duo," I told him, "thanks a lot. I had a wonderful night. You're the best."  
  
"It was nothing, Lena," he answered, cheerfully.  
  
I gave him a kiss on his cheek. When I noticed a pair of cobalt blue eyes looking at us I let out a small shout.  
  
"Heero!" I said.  
  
"You came back early," was all Duo said.  
  
"Where were you?" Heero asked with an icy voice. He was glaring at me like he wanted to kill me right there.  
  
"We went out." Duo answered.  
  
"Where?" Heero asked impatiently.  
  
"She was safe. I was with her the whole time," Duo answered.  
  
"Where?" Heero insisted.  
  
"We went to one of the 'private parties'."  
  
Was it my imagination, or was Heero Yuy actually red? I can't tell you. But he looked really pissed off.  
  
"Are both of you stupid?" He asked us, furiously.  
  
"No. We were safe. I made sure of that. Besides, nobody recognized her." Duo pointed out.  
  
Then, Heero looked carefully at me. He was very angry. I could tell.  
  
"Relena, you look." Heero began. "Fantastic, I know." I interrupted.  
  
".like a whore," he finished.  
  
Shit, that stung. If he said that on purpose just to hurt me, he actually did it. Duo decided to intervene before things got out of hand.  
  
"Fuck, Yuy. There is something called tact. You should get some."  
  
"You know, Heero." I stepped in, "it's your opinion and I like to think this is a free world, but honestly I don't give a flying fart about what you think. I actually like how I look. I had the time of my life tonight. I don't know what this big fuss of yours is about. I was safe. I was with Duo."  
  
"You didn't tell her." Heero looked disapprovingly at Duo.  
  
"I didn't want to worry her."  
  
"Worry me?" I didn't know what they were talking about.  
  
"Yes, Len." Duo answered me. "There have been threats to your life. That's why we moved you to Preventers HQ."  
  
"What do you mean? There was no failure in the climate controls?" I was getting upset by the minute.  
  
"No, it was just an excuse. Security reasons." Duo said, sounding a little bit mortified.  
  
"That's a mountain of B.S. and you know it, Duo. Was our friendship part of the plan to protect me? Were you my bodyguard or my friend? Please, tell me."  
  
The idea of Duo just distracting me, not really wanting sincerely to be my friend, really hurt me. I know he never lies, but I was truly afraid of being betrayed.  
  
"Lena, you know me. I really care about you." He said, sounding a little bit hurt by my sudden doubts.  
  
"Okay, Duo. I believe you. I'm sorry. I just. it's confusing. Anyway, how serious is this? Do you believe there's a real danger?"  
  
"We're not sure. That's what Heero was investigating." Duo said, looking at Heero for information about the status of the situation.  
  
"There's real danger. We have to reinforce security. That is why I came back sooner."  
  
"Ok, let's make a plan. Time to work." Duo said, turning very serious.  
  
"Never the one to waste time, huh Duo?" A different voice came from the shadows, making me aware of another presence in the house.  
  
Duo and I turned our heads towards the newcomer. His eyes were looking at me with curiosity. I swear I saw some amusement in them. Finally, addressing me, he commented.  
  
"Never mind Heero, Ms. Peacecraft. You look good in that outfit."  
  
Oh my God! The last surprise of the night was there. Heero hadn't come alone.  
  
He had brought Trowa Barton with him.  
  
tbc 


	6. Discoveries

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. I am not making money. I am totally penniless, so please don't sue me.  
  
Life Happened 6/?? Author: shinigami2174 Archive: mediaminer.org and fanfiction.net under shinigami2174 Rating: PG-13 Warnings: Relena's POV, yaoi, yuri, het, language Pairings: Past R+1, 3x4x3, 1+2+1, 4x5x4, future 1x2x1 Timeline: After Endless Waltz Spoilers: None. Genre: Romance. Feedback: Yes please! shinigami2174@Argentina.com  
  
Thanks to CYT for beta reading.  
  
Life Happened  
  
Chapter 6: Discoveries.  
  
I used to think I knew about over-protectiveness, that there could be nothing worse than a paranoid Gundam pilot in charge of my security. Guess what? There's something worse; three paranoid Gundam pilots in charge of my security.  
  
Oh Lord! My situation was unbearable. Heero was to the point of distrusting my shadow. Duo was a lot of fun before he knew I was in real danger. After that, well. I don't even want to talk about it.  
  
And there was Trowa.  
  
Yes, apparently the people that were threatening my life really meant business. I mean, Heero Yuy called for another Gundam pilot to protect me. I must confess I was a little scared.  
  
It seemed that this one was the first really dangerous mission for Trowa since he had got back to work as a full time Preventer. I figured this was really a hard time for him. After all, he had just broken up with Quatre, and suddenly he was on his own in every aspect.  
  
He was very professional around me. We'd never been very close. He was more an acquaintance than a friend, but as long as I did as I was told, there wasn't any problem between the two of us. But there wasn't any kind of personal communication either.  
  
The whole situation was driving me nuts. I've been always aware that my life's far from normal, that I have to face dangers that most people don't even think about. But this new situation, really got to me. I was worried, bored, desperate and tremendously depressed.  
  
I was lonely before all of this happened, I just figured that I'd be alone forever. That really made me sad. I started to question myself if everything was worthy at all.  
  
This persistent state of depression was taking a toll on me. Suddenly, I started to have problems sleeping. Okay, that was a little bit of an understatement; I became a freaking insomniac.  
  
I'd toss and turn every night without being able to fall asleep. It was really frustrating. I was just sort of slipping away, and the most frightening thing was that I found myself helpless and incapable of putting my shit together, as Duo would say.  
  
In those damned interminable nights, I'd get up and walk around the gardens of the house, wandering freely, trying to avoid thinking about the state of my life. Very often, I would sit by the pool and stare at the sky.  
  
One of those nights, I realized I wasn't alone. Suddenly, without me noticing how he got there, Trowa was by my side. He startled me, and I couldn't repress a gasp and a not so proper exclamation.  
  
"Shit!"  
  
He had the decency to look surprised for a fraction of a second. After that, I could swear I saw some amusement reflected on his face. Then I realized I had cursed out loud. I, trying to behave like a lady, wanted to apologize.  
  
"Crap! I said that out loud. I'm sorry."  
  
Here I was, doing my best in making a perfect fool of myself.  
  
"Okay, it seems I'm not at my brightest tonight. I'm sorry."  
  
"I never thought you'd use such. colorful language, Miss Relena." He said.  
  
"Just in my thoughts. I use it when I talk to myself."  
  
Oh great! First I was a fool, now I'm nuts.  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"Well, yes," I admitted sheepishly.  
  
"Is it a side-effect of Duo's presence?"  
  
"Oh no! This has been going on since I was a child."  
  
Oh God! What couldn't I shut my big mouth?  
  
"I wouldn't have imagined it. I mean, you grew up in a. more refined environment. Or so I've been told. I just can't imagine 'someone' talking like that around you."  
  
"Well, you're right. Nobody talked like that around me. I discovered this 'colorful' language, as you kindly put it, by mere accident."  
  
I was already starting to remember that day.  
  
"I was seven or eight years old, and as you correctly assumed, I'd never heard someone talking like that. Anyway, I was playing hide and seek alone in the garden of the house when I came across one of the gardeners cutting some fresh roses for my mother, Mrs. Darlian."  
  
I was already lost in my memory and he seemed genuinely interested, so I continued.  
  
"He was muttering something about stupid flowers when he hurt himself with some thorns. The unstoppable flow of curses that followed astonished me. I've never heard something like that. I could infer that those were words related to unpleasant circumstances, but at the same time, I was scared."  
  
"What did you do then?"  
  
"I ran back to the house, felling guilty without knowing why. Then it happened again, and curiosity got the best of me. I tried to look for those words using internet. It didn't work because obviously I didn't know how to spell them and because my father had very effective computer programs installed to monitor what I looked for on the Internet. After that, I decided for a more traditional approach. I used a dictionary and found their general meaning and some examples of their use."  
  
"It seems to me that you were a persistent little girl."  
  
"Well, I was stubborn and curious. That was all it took. Of course I told nobody about my 'discovery'. I knew that if I wasn't supposed to hear those words, their use in my vocabulary was totally out of the question. However, when things got frustrating or stressful, I used them in my mind. It was almost. therapeutic."  
  
"I can imagine it," he said.  
  
"As time went by," I went on, "I paid more attention to people around me and heard more words and new uses for the old ones. I acquired a better knowledge of them and used them more frequently in my inner talks."  
  
"So, you never used them as part of your vocabulary?" he asked. It seems that curiosity also gets the best of him.  
  
"No. well, yes. The first time I said something loud was when I fired Heero. After that, well. around Duo. I just keep losing control of my big mouth. Just the three of you have heard something like that from me."  
  
"Well, I suppose it makes us special in some way."  
  
I blushed. I couldn't believe it. I can be truly pathetic sometimes.  
  
"I suppose, in a bizarre way."  
  
"I'm honored." He mocked playfully.  
  
"Um. my pleasure?" I said, and started laughing.  
  
I actually felt a lot more relaxed and suddenly I was tired and ready to go to sleep, so I decided to call it a night.  
  
"I think I'm going to bed. It was nice talking to you," I said while I started to get up.  
  
"Same here," he responded while walking away.  
  
I don't know why, but that night I was finally able to get some rest. The next day wasn't so awful, but I was still depressed. The following days were the same, I was incredible tired and kept having trouble sleeping. Trying to relax a little bit, I continued my nocturnal wanderings.  
  
Two weeks after our first encounter, I met Trowa again. This time I found him sitting by the pool, watching the stars. I approached him silently, but I'm sure he noticed my presence immediately.  
  
"Can't sleep?" I asked him.  
  
"No," he answered, "beautiful night, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, beautiful."  
  
"Seems you can't sleep either."  
  
"Well, I've been having trouble sleeping lately," I confessed.  
  
"Is something bothering you?" he asked, looking directly to me.  
  
"Just the usual," I answered nonchalantly, "someone wants me dead, peace needs to be kept, there's a lot of reconstructive work needed around earth and the colonies, nothing out of the ordinary."  
  
Oh my God! When did I become so bitter?  
  
"Sometimes it's just too much, right?" He asked, knowingly.  
  
"Yes, sometimes I'm afraid it's just not worth it."  
  
What the hell is wrong with me? Is he using truth serum on me or something?  
  
"You know, Relena, I can call you Relena, can't I?"  
  
"Of course you can, Trowa."  
  
He smiled shyly, and continued.  
  
"You and Quatre are very much alike in many ways."  
  
"Really? How so?" I was curious.  
  
"Both of you have an incredible amount of responsibility on your shoulders at such a young age. There are so many expectations around you two. People want you to be so mature, and . I don't know. It's like they don't realize you're very young."  
  
"Well, we aren't as young as we were during the wars," I said, feeling I was talking about ancient times.  
  
"That's true, we were all so young," He stated with some melancholy in his voice.  
  
"Sometimes, it seems like centuries ago."  
  
Why did I have to sound so sad? Well, maybe because that was exactly how I felt. I didn't like the course of the conversation, so I tried to change the topic.  
  
"Can I ask you something very personal, Trowa?"  
  
He looked at me for a moment, as if he was seriously considering if I was to be trusted, and then said,  
  
"Sure, ask me whatever you want to know."  
  
"Why. why did you and Quatre break up?"  
  
He was very silent for a moment, and I was afraid I had committed the sin of indiscretion.  
  
"I didn't mean to pry." I tried to apologize.  
  
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that. It's just. well you see, my birthday's coming and I wanted to invite both of you to my party and. I wanted to know if you're on good terms with him."  
  
Did I tell you I make a pretty good babbling fool?  
  
"Don't worry," he finally said, "it's okay. We broke up because. we fell out of love."  
  
"You fell out of love? Just like that?"  
  
Good grief! You've never learned to just shut up, Relena!  
  
"Well, it's enough. You see, it's simple, but at the same time it's very complicated. When Quatre and I got together during the war, I believed we complemented each other perfectly. We shared so much, had so much in common. I just thought we were going to go on forever."  
  
"I thought the same," I said.  
  
"You did?" He seemed puzzled.  
  
"Yeah, I always took your relationship for granted. It was part of the future I imagined back then."  
  
"So, you also had a well laid plan for the future?"  
  
"You too? I can't believe it!"  
  
"Yes, well it wasn't exactly a plan. It was more a wish, an illusion."  
  
"In my case, it was more a delusion," I said, laughing.  
  
"Heero?" He asked.  
  
"Yes, he was the central piece of my future. But he wasn't the only wrong idea I had."  
  
"Are you still in love with him?"  
  
Crap! That was totally unexpected, but then again I never kept a low profile chasing him.  
  
"No," I answered him, "one day I realized I'd never been in love with him. It was just a juvenile infatuation."  
  
"How did you discover it?"  
  
"One day I noticed he wasn't happy working for me. I also noticed it didn't hurt as hard as I'd expect. I just realized he wasn't the one."  
  
He was very quiet for some moments. After a while, he said:  
  
"Something similar happened to me. Quatre and I drifted apart after the war ended. He was so busy taking charge of WEI, he used to work sixteen hours a day. When we were together he was just exhausted, of course he wouldn't want to talk about his hellish day, and I wouldn't talk about my day at work either. It seemed we never had anything to talk about anymore."  
  
"I'm sorry." I said.  
  
"Me too. You know the saddest thing about it? After sometime, I realized something wasn't right. Around that time Quatre invited Wufei to work with me in WEI's security. When I noticed they were physically attracted to each other, I was. relieved. I hadn't realized I wanted to get out of our relationship so badly. I just didn't love him anymore, and I'm sure he didn't love me either, at least not as a partner."  
  
"What did you do?" I asked.  
  
"We had a long talk. We reached the same conclusion; we just fell out of love. We're still friends. I'll always love him. He's a part of my heart. I'm just not in love with him anymore."  
  
At that point, I was sobbing. It was so sweet and sad at the same time.  
  
"Don't cry, Relena. I'm okay, we're okay. These things just. happen."  
  
"I know. It's just. sometimes I think I'll never know what it's like to be in love with someone."  
  
"I'm sure you'll find 'the one' as you call that person. You'll see."  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to burden you with my problems. I've got to go now."  
  
"Good night, Relena."  
  
"Good night, Trowa."  
  
The next day I had to attend the meeting from hell. It lasted eight hours and I was bored out of my mind. It was Duo's turn to guard me so he was on the edge of insanity. When we finally got out of there, Duo seemed more than relieved.  
  
"Jesus, I thought it was never going to end."  
  
"Oh D!. Sometimes I'm really sorry you have to suffer through these things."  
  
"No problem, Len. By the way, we need to talk."  
  
"About?" I asked.  
  
"Don't be anxious, we'll talk when we get home."  
  
I was so tired I almost fell asleep in the car. However, as soon as we got home, curiosity did it again; I had to know what was it Duo wanted to talk about. A nanosecond after we crossed the door, I took Duo's hand and towed him towards my bedroom to talk privately.  
  
"Easy, Lena," he protested.  
  
"Tell me, tell me!" I urged him. "What is it you want to talk about?"  
  
"Len, do you remember our conversation the night we went out?"  
  
"Sure, what exactly are you talking about?"  
  
"About Hilde," he told me very seriously.  
  
"Of course I remember. What about it?"  
  
"Were you serious about the whole date thing?"  
  
"Yes, I was. What about it?"  
  
"I talked to her."  
  
Now I was nervous. I'd been very serious that night about going out with her, but it's one thing to say it, and another to actually do it.  
  
"And?" I asked, nervously.  
  
"Are you free the day after tomorrow?"  
  
"What?! Are you insane? It's too soon. I don't have anything to wear. I need to check my agenda. I need."  
  
I started to hyperventilate at that point. Oh my God! I was so nervous and excited, and frightened and giddy all at the same time.  
  
"Cool down girl! I have everything under control. I cleared your agenda with a little help from your secretary, of course. I have your wardrobe ready, and before you start panicking again, it's nothing like the outfit you used last time we went out."  
  
Well, that was a huge relief. But then a problem came to my mind how was I going to escape from Heero's iron watch?  
  
"Thanks, D. Just another question."  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"How am I going to escape from Heero? He'll go berserk as soon as he hears a word about me going out in a date."  
  
"Who said something about Heero knowing about it?"  
  
"Then, how the hell am I going to go out?"  
  
"Well, we're going to tell him you have an emergency meeting. Your secretary's going to cover for us. Besides, you'll be with me the whole time and."  
  
That really freaked me out. Was D going to be with us in our date?! I didn't think so. I had to stop this madness right then.  
  
"Whoa! Hold it here, D." I interrupted him. "You're definitely not going to be there. No sir."  
  
"What? Why?" he asked, really surprised.  
  
"Well, for instance suppose for a moment I get lucky," I said to him, grinning mischievously, "I'd be a little. weird for you to be there with the two of us, don't you think?"  
  
He actually turned an interesting shade of red. He hadn't thought about it!  
  
"I. I suppose you're right." He said, hesitantly.  
  
"Well duh! Of course I'm right. We need some privacy, don't you think?"  
  
"Okay, I concede that."  
  
"What are we going to do, D?"  
  
"I'm thinking here! Give me a minute."  
  
Then I had an idea. I really wanted to go out on that date with Hilde, so desperate times call for desperate measures.  
  
"I have an idea, D."  
  
"Good, because I don't. Spill it"  
  
"We're going to use the wig and the contact lenses. I'm going to go in disguise."  
  
"Okay, it'll help," he admitted, "but. you're not going alone."  
  
"But." I started to protest.  
  
"No buts. I'm not going with you. Trowa is," he said.  
  
"Are you out of your mind?"  
  
"Nope. You're going. I really don't wanna be there in case you get lucky, you're definitely not going alone so."  
  
"He'll tell Heero."  
  
"He won't if we ask him not to do it."  
  
"Are you sure?" I was having serious doubts.  
  
"Oh yes, I am."  
  
And to Trowa we went. I really didn't know how to ask him to be our accomplice in this date thing. I was counting on Duo asking him as a friend. We went to his room. He seemed to be relaxing a little bit since he was wearing only sweat pants and was barefoot. I could see his incredible six- pack, his muscled arms and -by the way- he also has a great ass.  
  
I just hope he didn't realize I was ogling him. Then Duo decided to bring me back to reality saying:  
  
"Hi, Tro. You busy?"  
  
"Not really." Without saying anything else, he let us in.  
  
"We need to ask you a favor," I said after an awkward silence.  
  
"What can I do for you?"  
  
"Well, you see," Duo finally said, "Lena here's going out on a date."  
  
"And?" Trowa asked, arching one eyebrow, as if he suspected something else was going on.  
  
"I want you to be my bodyguard for the occasion," I interrupted.  
  
"Why me? I mean, I assume you might be more comfortable with Duo in a situation like this."  
  
"That's the point, Tro," Duo answered, "she wouldn't be comfortable at all with me this time."  
  
"Why is that?" Trowa asked.  
  
"Because she's going out with. well. Hilde." Duo stated.  
  
For a short moment, Trowa looked actually surprised. He changed his expression to a blank one almost immediately.  
  
"Oh, I understand that, but why not Heero?" he insisted.  
  
"That's exactly the point Tro, Heero doesn't need to know. You know he'd make a big fuss and refuse to allow it." Duo said.  
  
"Please?" I intervened, "it's kind of important to me."  
  
I admit it. I used my puppy eyes. The ones I used to use on my parents when I was a child. Those never fail.  
  
"You understand we'll be in deep shit if Heero finds out, don't you?"  
  
"Thanks, Trowa. You're the best!" I said enthusiastically, hugging him and giving him a kiss on the cheek. I'm childish sometimes. Sue me.  
  
"I knew we could count on you," Duo said, grinning. "Now we just need a plan."  
  
"What do you have in mind?" Trowa asked him.  
  
"Well, they're going to meet in a public place. It's a restaurant. Lena will use a disguise, the wig and the colored contacts. I think we're ok."  
  
"We'll need a car," Trowa said, "one that no one will relate to her or us."  
  
"A Preventers car?" Duo asked.  
  
"No. Somebody could see it and investigate. We don't want anybody to learn about it and report it to Heero."  
  
Then I remembered something I hadn't thought about in many years.  
  
"I think that I can help you with that," I said, and both of them turned their heads towards me.  
  
"What do you mean?" Duo asked.  
  
"I have a car at this house. No one knows about it."  
  
"We have registration on all your cars, Lena." Duo said.  
  
"No, you don't. You don't have a registration for this car. Please, follow me." I asked, and they did. We went towards an old building that once served as stables and were transformed into a garage many years ago by my Dad.  
  
Of courses, the Preventers knew about the building and its contents, but since they were old cars that had been my father's, they didn't bother to register them because I asked them not to.  
  
We arrived at the garage and there were several cars, parked and covered. I led them directly to the one that was farthest from the door, and uncovered it.  
  
The first thing I saw in their eyes was surprise. The second thing was a frown of distaste. Before them was an old gift my father had given me some months before his assassination. I wanted to learn how to drive and he taught me personally. When I finally learned, he decided to give me a present, a car.  
  
"What is it?" Duo asked.  
  
"It's a car and it's mine." I answered.  
  
"But. it's. pink!" Duo protested.  
  
"I know. Remember I used to like pink. When my father gave it to me, pink was my favorite color."  
  
"But. it's a Porsche 911 convertible. It just can't be pink, Relena." "Well, it is."  
  
"Let me tell you something, missy. That's a sin, a blasphemy. You can't have a Porsche painted pink."  
  
"Well I did." I was getting tired of this conversation.  
  
"Who did you think you were? Barbie?" Duo went on, while Trowa observed, clearly amused.  
  
"Hell no! Barbie isn't a real princess. I was."  
  
That was it. Both of them burst into laugher. Well I did it too.  
  
"Okay, I get it." Duo finally said after laughing his ass out. "Before we can use it, we need to paint it. Is that ok?"  
  
I thought about it for a minute. Part of me wanted to keep it the way it was, because that's how my dad gave it to me. Another part of me wanted desperately to change its color. Objectively speaking, the car looked hideous.  
  
"Let's do it." I finally answered.  
  
"What color do you prefer?" Duo asked me.  
  
"Black," I answered without even thinking, "let's paint it black."  
  
"Black?" Duo questioned, "You never struck me as someone who likes black."  
  
"I know. People change," was all I said.  
  
I gave Duo the keys. He immediately hopped in and turned on the engine. I was a little afraid it wouldn't work, but it did. Duo was elated, he loves all kind of machines and the sound of the engine really got him excited.  
  
They decided to paint the car themselves. I wanted to help, but they didn't let me. I was just watching them work with the efficiency of a well trained team. Later that day, my Porsche was ready to roll.  
  
The day of my date with Hilde finally arrived. I was nervous as hell. Fortunately, Duo kept his word and got me a casual outfit that made me look good. It was simple and, as Duo would say, I looked my age.  
  
When I was ready, using that black-haired wig and those hazel-colored contacts, I looked at my reflection in the mirror and smiled, satisfied. Trowa was waiting for me. He also opted for casual clothes, a pair of jeans and a turtle neck shirt.  
  
He drove in silence. I was so nervous I wasn't really up to a conversation. We arrived at the place; it was a cozy café, with an intimate atmosphere. Hilde was already there. I saw her and turned my head to see Trowa. Without words, he indicated to me he'd be near and signaled me to go ahead and meet Hilde.  
  
Duo had told Hilde about my disguise, so he recognized me without any effort. I arrived at the table and she greeted me warmly:  
  
"Hello, Relena. Please, sit down."  
  
"Hi, Hilde," I said while I sat down.  
  
Almost immediately, a waiter came to take our order.  
  
"I want a cup of coffee," she ordered.  
  
"The same thing," I said to the guy.  
  
"Well." she said, trying to break the ice.  
  
"Well." was all I could come up with. Yeah. Real eloquent.  
  
"You look really good as a brunette." She said.  
  
"Thanks. You look good too."  
  
This wasn't going well. I mean, I was pathetic.  
  
"Duo told me you know about the crush I used to have on you," she finally said.  
  
"Used to?" I asked, "As in not anymore."  
  
"It's been a long time."  
  
"I understand." I finally told her.  
  
"No, you don't. You're still so beautiful, Relena. I'm still attracted to you. But I can see you don't like girls that way."  
  
"How do you know it?"  
  
I was really curious about it, since I couldn't tell if I was interested in women in a sexual way. Believe it or not, I just hadn't questioned myself about it. I'd been so busy the last years that I just assumed I liked just men since I'd been attracted to Heero in the past.  
  
"I just know it." She said quizzically.  
  
"When Duo told me you had some feelings for me," I said, "I really wanted to give it a shot."  
  
"Then it's just that you're feeling alone, Relena. I can see you're not attracted to girls. You're just clinging to someone or something that has shown some kind of interest in you. I didn't realize you were that lonely."  
  
I was ashamed and surprised. She'd been able to read me pretty well and quite easily. Was I that obvious? I was ashamed of my weakness. I was ready to actually use someone to avoid feeling lonely. That's really low.  
  
"You seem to know me even better than I know myself." I told her, looking into her eyes. "Why?"  
  
"Because," she said, "I use to observe you carefully. I was almost obsessed with you."  
  
"But you weren't close to me. We just talked a few times after the war."  
  
"I know. But you're forgetting something, Relena. For the past few years, your public life's been your whole life. You haven't had time to live outside your job. I just followed your work, the interviews you gave, everything."  
  
"Still, it's not enough." I was reluctant to believe she could know me, really know me without at least being my friend.  
  
"I know," she admitted, "maybe it's just that I feel the same sometimes."  
  
"Do you feel lonely and desperate? Do you also think you'll never find love?"  
  
"Yes," she confessed.  
  
"Then we really have much in common. Can we be friends?" I offered.  
  
"I'd like it very much," she said, smiling to me taking my hand between hers. That was the exact moment Heero picked to enter the café. He saw the two of us holding hands and smiling and went berserk. Who would've thought that Heero had installed a transmitter in my watch to monitor my position?  
  
He stopped at the table, grabbed my wrist, and without saying a word, he dragged me out of the place. Everything happened so fast I couldn't say a word until we got home. Heero looked royally pissed off. He looked like he wanted to kill me.  
  
Trowa and we arrived almost at the same time. We were finally at home, and luckily Duo wasn't here. Finally, Heero spoke.  
  
"What were you doing there?"  
  
"I wasn't alone." I said, trying to avoid his question.  
  
"I know that," he said coldly, "I'm asking what you were doing there."  
  
"I was with her," Trowa tried to intervene.  
  
"Stay out of this, Barton." He told Trowa with an icy voice.  
  
"Answer me, Relena."  
  
"I went out with Hilde." I finally answered.  
  
He looked, if possible, even angrier. If I hadn't known he loved Duo, I'd say he was jealous.  
  
"Why?" He finally asked.  
  
"I think that's none of your business."  
  
"It's my business when you're hurting my friends."  
  
Okay, now I was utterly confused.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"What is this game you're playing, Relena?"  
  
"Heero, please explain to me what the fuck you're talking about."  
  
"First, you ask for Duo to be transferred as your personal bodyguard. Then everybody at Preventers HQ is gossiping about your relationship with him. After that, you go out with him and kiss him. And finally, you go out with his ex-girlfriend."  
  
I must confess, I was speechless. He went on.  
  
"Duo really likes you." He said with a hint of sadness in his voice.  
  
"And I like him too, just not."  
  
He didn't let me finish the sentence.  
  
"Then why are you. betraying him?"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I won't allow you to break his heart, Relena. He likes you and. I want him to be happy. So be warned. I won't let you hurt him. Ever."  
  
Without another word, he stormed out of the room. Trowa and I just looked at each other totally dumbfounded.  
  
Then it hit me. All this time trying to find a way to get them together without success, and suddenly I realized I just had found a way.  
  
After all that, Heero Yuy was jealous. of me. I would've laughed if the situation wasn't so bizarre.  
  
tbc 


End file.
